Ghana international Mohammed Kudus has been left out of Tottenham Hotspur’s squad for the club’s pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia as he continues his recovery from a long-term injury.
The 25-year-old midfielder has been sidelined since January and is yet to regain full fitness, with Tottenham’s medical team taking a cautious approach to his rehabilitation. The club is prioritising his long-term recovery before he returns to full first-team action.
Kudus is among several high-profile absentees from head coach Roberto De Zerbi’s 35-man travelling squad, announced after Spurs’ 1-0 pre-season victory over MK Dons on Wednesday.
The Black Stars playmaker will remain in England to continue his rehabilitation programme, with the club unwilling to rush his return ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Also absent from the tour is Sweden international Dejan Kulusevski, who is recovering from a serious knee injury. Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons have also been ruled out as they continue their recoveries from cruciate ligament injuries.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario will stay behind after picking up a minor injury.
Despite the injury setbacks, De Zerbi will use the tour to assess several of Tottenham’s new signings ahead of the new campaign.
Summer recruits Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka have all been included in the travelling squad and are expected to feature prominently.
Defender Marcos Senesi has been granted extended leave after representing Argentina at the FIFA World Cup and will rejoin the team at a later date.
Tottenham’s tour of New Zealand and Australia will form a key part of De Zerbi’s preparations for the new season.
For Kudus, however, the priority remains completing the next phase of his rehabilitation before making his long-awaited return to competitive football.
